Ever-ready carrier-contained photographic-equipment package



May 9, 1944 F. S. GROVER EVER READY CARRIER-CONTAINED PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT PACKAGE .6 Sheets-Sheet 1 HMimiiinHtrI/I R. m m V 1 2 4 9 1 [l1 9 l 9 WI: u A mm\ W 1 i F uh am 9v mm wv mm. m 1 kw 9 V m% .h, V 0 mu m mm. M

BY E'ederZc 5. Graven- 'May 9, 1944. F. s. GROVER 2,348,620

EVER READY CARRIER-CONTAINED PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT PACKAGE Filed Aug. 19, 1942 s Sheets-Sheet z 0 m 0 INYENTOR. BY Red aw/0A. Woven /W Hi/L233.

F. s. GRQVER May 9, 1944.

EVER READY CARRIER-'CONTA I INED PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIEMEN'I' PACKAGE s Sheets-sheaf s 3 3 Filed Aug. 19,- 1942 m fi rillv INVENTOR. a 7 0 2/6 8 .rhederws May 9, 1944. Rs. GROVER 2,348,620 EVER READY CARRIER-CONTAINED PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT PACKAGE v Filed Aug. 19, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 RedemicS iii "0 2m?- x K M wl /w d May 9, 1944.

F. S. GROVER EVER READY CARRIER-CONTAINED PHOTOGRAPHIG EQUIPMENT PACKAGE Filed Aug. 19 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Haw 3 INVENTOR.

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F. S. GROVER May 9, 1944.

- EVER READY CARRIER-CONTAINED PHOTOGRAPHI-C EQUIPMENT PACKAGE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 I Filed 19', 1942 I\ m INVENTOR.

Rederac'. Grover: BY K oiiii/"ys Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE EVER-READY CARRIER-CONTAINED PHOTO- GRAPHIC-EQUIPMEN T PACKAGE ApplicationA-ugust 19, 1942, Serial No. 455,290

1 Claim.

This invention relates to ever-ready photographic equipment assemblie packed in carriers, and rendered capable of instant use by the act of opening .the carrier.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, .1 have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the carrier for the packaged assembly when .in closed condition;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through Fig. 1 showing the position in said carrier of the camera having a photoflash synchronizer mounted thereto for instant use, and the position of the mounting of the tripod head;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of .Fig. 1 when the loaded carrier is in closed condition;

Fig. 4 is a, top plan view of the carrier when the two upper compartments (one of which has three covers) have been opened out to make instantly accessible all the units of the packaged assembly;

Fig. 5 is a vertical, longitudinal section through Fig. 1 showing the position of the camera in the loaded, closed carrier, with the flash gun and reflector, the plate holders, the tripod legs and the second synchrcnizer reflector also all in proper place therein;

Fig. 6 is a vertical, longitudinal section through Fig. 1 taken just beyond and parallel to the section for Fig. 5 and showing the position in the loaded carrier of the tripod legs, the tripod head and one of the film holders;

Fig. '7 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 4, but of a packaged arrangement wherein the synchronizer battery case is carried detached from the camera and the reflector is carried detached from the battery case; and

Fig. -8 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1, but wherein one of the upper compartments of the carrier has been opened to show the position in the packaged assembly of the extra lens and lens board together with the shutter.

This invention relates to an ever-ready photographic equipment assembly packaged in a carrier for easy and safe transportation, thereby permitting immediate use at any place, and particularly at a place other than at a studio, as, for example, b the ground forces of the United States Air Corps and the Signal Corps, and by other branches of the United States armed forces as well as by news photographers and others.

The primary purpose of the invention is so to package or arrange all the necessary and very numerous articles of the equipment unit in the carrier that such carrier may be quickly opened up and the act of merely opening the carrier presents each and every article of the photographic equipment ready to be grasped by the operator and taken from the carrier in the proper and desired order without the operator, in so doing, being compelled to disturb any other articles of the equipment or to take the desired articles from the carrier otherwise than in the said proper and desired order. The operator for any particular picture, in the practice of the art or method of my invention, need take from the carrier only the very articles needed for that picture, without touching or disturbing any other article of the equipment. By takin the various articles from the loaded carrier in the proper order for assembly and use, the operator practices the greatest efficiency and uses the greatest possible speed of operation, and is thereby enabled to obtain photographs of scenes, objects, happenings or incidents that must be photographed substantiall instantly or forever lost. The equipment assembly packaged in the carrier provides for and affords a new method, art or manner of practising photography.

.At the present time there are available very sensitive films and plates, large exposure-opening lenses, synchronizer equipments containing flashlight electric bulbs or lamps of different but very rapid time-lapse or time-delay interval in reaching the peak of the flash, and each such bulb or lamp requiring for best results a reflector particularly adapted thereto, and the operator must be prepared to take advantage instantl of and use the photographic articles best adapted to secure the desired picture. However, the operator cannot know in advance what the conditions will be pertaining to any picture Where, for example, there are very rapid movements and different light values, shades, etc. He must be ready to make a very quick mental decision with respect to the requirements or opportunities of a particular situation and then he must instantly seize and assemble from his outfit the various articles or photographic items he needs for securing the best photograph thereof. In doing this he in efiect practises a novel art or method of photography.

It is the primary purpose of my invention to permit this to be done.

In the preferred arrangement of the articles in packaged condition in the carrier, the synchronizer is attached to the camera, being electrically connected to the shutter tripper, and a plate or film holder loaded with sensitized material is in place. It is therefore possible for the operator instantly to lift the camera from the carrier, to open it up, to withdraw the dark slide and make an immediate exposure, thus securing the desired picture at the one instant it was possible to secure it, and under the best possible conditions.

My invention, considered more in detail, also provides a bracket for carrying the photographic fiash-synchronizer battery-case when not installed on the camera, but which battery case is instantly removable from such bracket for installation in the camera.

The carrier is so designed and constructed that other accessories, ready for use, can be immediately removed from the carrier without in any way disturbing any of the other articles that are packed in the carrier for use when needed.

Among such other needed articles packed in the carrier are the tripod head, the tripod legs. an extra or substitute lens board with lens and shutter attached, the range finder, the view finder, at least a dozen film holders, a film pack adapter, numerous filters, a sun-shade, portrait attachments, supplementary lenses and a cable release.

Further important objects of my invention are to provide a photographic equipment carrier that not only is strong, but is relatively light in weight and is of a minimum size and of convenient proportions, and which has arranged therein all of the needed articles of the equipment, each in its one and only place, and from which it can be instantly taken without disturbing any other article of the equipment. even though the requirements arising from different situations are such as to call for taking out articles in different order in securing different pictures or to require the use of different articles in different situations.

In order to carry out the purposes of my invention and to practise the herein described novel art or method of photography, I have constructed a carrier the compartments, partitions and spaces whereof have been so arranged and proportioned that the act of opening up the carrier displays and renders instantly available all the articles of the equipment so that whatever article is needed first in the taking of. the immediate picture is thus instantly available without disturbing any other article.

I will now describe the carrier which is best adapted for the accomplishment of my purpose. Such carrier may be formed of any suitabl strong material, but it is desirable to make i as light as possible consistent with strength and durability. Preferably I use fibre or some leather-like material, with metallic reinforcements at parts thereof. The carrier may be of any suitable dimensions, but when employing a 4 x 5 camera, the outside dimensions of the car rier are about 9 x 10 x 18 inches, varying in accordance with the size of camera carried as a part of the equipment assembly. The total weight of the carrier-contained assembly is about 20 to 25 pounds depending on the materials used.

In order that the construction of the carrier may be clearly understood, reference is first made to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, wherein the carrier as a whole is indicated at 20. It desirably comprises a lower box-like member or compartment 2| and two, hinged, upper, facing compartments 22, 23, that open oppositely and together constitute the cover portion of the carrier. All these parts are preferably composed of Some light, strong sheet material. The upper compartment 22 is hinged to the lower member or compartment 2| by hinges 24, 24 attached by screws 24a, 24a, and the upper compartment 23 is hinged to the lower member or compartment 2| by hin e 25, 25 held to the said lower member or compartment by screws 25a, 25a. Attached preferably to the upper compartment 22 is a flat metal strip 26 extending the entire length of the carrier and downwardly a suitable distance at the ends thereof in general flattened inverted U-shape form. Such strip adds support and renders both the upper compartments 22 and 23 dust-tight. The said strip 26 is secured to the said upper compartment 22 by a series of rivets 21, 21, and to the said strip 26 is attached a carrying handle 28 having a bracket 29 securely attached to the said strip 26 by rivets 3!], 3!]. Also attached to the said strip 26 is one member of each of two hasp blocks 3|, 3|, each engaged by the other member of the corresponding hasp blocks 32, 32 securely attached to the said upper compartment 23. Such construction can be effected in any suitable manner, as by rivets or screws. To the lower member or compartment 2 I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is attached the lower member of each of two trunk locks 33, 33, and to the said strip 26 are attached the upper members of the trunk locks 34, 34. To the corners of the carrier are attached scuff plates 35, 35 of metal or other suitable material.

Of prime importance is the positioning in the carrier of the camera having attached to it a battery case with photoflash synchronizer complete with a flash bulb and reflector, at the place in the carrier where it will be instantly accessible Without moving any other article contained in the carrier. The selected position for the camera itself, which is indicated at 36, clearly appears in the sectional View Fig. 2, wherein the carrier is shown in closed position. The said camera 36 as so positioned in the carrier has pre-installed thereon a film holder 31 and a battery case 38, with the other parts of the photoflash synchronizer including a flash bulb 39 and a reflector 40 attached to the battery case 38.

The said carrier is provided with a suitable lengthwise extending partition 4|, shown in section in Fig. 2 and in plan in Figs. 4 and '7 as extending from one end wall of the carrier nearly to the other or opposite end wall and an adjacent fixed block 42 is provided for securely holdmg the camera, 36 in the carrier.

As shown in Fig. 2, the upper compartment 22 of the carrier is provided with a vertically positioned partition 43 extending in a direction lengthwise of the carrier, and the upper compartment member 23 is provided with a vertically extending partition 44 adjacent to the partition 43 anda support member 45 into which is placed a tripod head 46 having the usual tripod screw 4'! and lock nut 48.

Fig. 4 shows the equipment carrier 20 with the two upper compartments 22, 23 opened out oppositely to each other. The mere act of so openng out the upper compartments 22, 23 renders instantly available all of the articles of the entire equipment.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the said upper compartment 23 is in reality composed of a series of three cover members 49, 50 and 5|, in longitudinal alignment with each other and having strap fasteners 52, 53, 54 respectively. The said cover member 49 is represented in Fig. 4 as partially broken away in order to show the position in that part of the compartment 23 of the tripod head 46, already referred to.

The portion of the said compartment 23 constituted by the cover members Bil, i provides a space for carrying flash lamps (not shown) held to the under side of said cover members by' any suitable securing means 53', 54. In the space between the said partition M and the outer wall of the lower member or compartment 21, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4 at 55, are received the tripod legs 56, 56.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 7, the lower member or compartment 21' is provided with three partitions 51, 58, 59, of which partitions 5i and 58 extend transversely of the said member or compartment 2'1, and the partition 59 is at right angles to the partition 58, as shown in Fig. 4,

and as is also evident from Fig. 5. As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the space provided between the partition 57 and the adjacent outer wall of the member or compartment 2| is for the storage of film holders 60.

Referring particularly to Figs. space between the partitions 51, 58 receives the camera previously referred to and the space between the transversely extending partition 58 and the right hand end wall of the lower member or compartment 2! is for the purpose of receiving the said reflector i l and also for receiving a second reflector a. Extending into the space just referred to is a partition indicated at 6| and best shown in Fig. 4, and a partition 62, shown in Fig. 5, so as thus to provide a space 63 for receiving additional film holders tile. shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7. Between the partition 59 and the lengthwise extending partition H- is thereby provided a space 64, as shown in Figs. 4 and '7, for receiving a film pack adapter 65, or additional film holders can be placed in the last mentioned space.

In the upper compartment 22 of the carrier is a box-l ke partition indicated by the dotted lines 66 in Figs. 4 and 7, and this space is provided with a cover 61 having fasteners 58, 68. shown in said figures for receiving filters shown in dotted lines at 69, sun-shade It, portrait attachments. or supplementary lenses H and a cable release '12, indicated in Figs. 4 and 8.

As shown at the lower left hand corner in Fig. 4, to the upper left hand end of the upper compartment 22 of the carrier is attached a block 13, and also shown in Fig. 7, where is represented in dotted lines a recess for receiving the lens and shutter 14 attached to a lens board 75 itself best shown in Fig. 8.

The said lens board i5 is held in position by a slide lock 16 secured to the block 13 by screws I1. The lens last referred to is a second or auxiliary lens. The camera 36 is, as packed or positioned in the carrier, equipped with one lens, making the camera ready for instant use, the said second lens being available for use if desired. It is always desirable to carry a. second lens, and it is essential that such lens should be in a place intended for it alone, where it is free from any damage. The space H3 enclosed by the partitions 66 and 43 and appearing in the lower left hand corner of Figs. 4 and '7, provides a satisfactory place for carrying a focusing cloth.

Fig. 5 constitutes a longitudinal vertical section through the equipment carrier and clearly shows the position of the several units of the equipment and particularly the camera 36, which 4 and 5, the

has attached thereto ready for instant use the flash synchronizer, the synchronizer battery case mounted or attached thereto, being pre-equipped with the said flash bulb 39 and the reflector 40. The camera 36 is pre-equipped with a range finder 19 and a view finder The two transversely extending partitions 51, 58 in the body compartment member 2| receive between them the camera body, the said partitions for that purpose being only sufficiently spaced from each other and at opposite sides of a median transverse line through said body compartment member as to receive snugly between them such camera body, with space beyond said transverse partitions of said body compartment member, between them respectively and the opposite ends of the said body compartment member, to receive synchronizing equipment parts that are so fixedly at tached to the camera body as to make a unit that is instantly available, when lifted out, as a photographic synchronizing equipment, including a battery case, a fiashlamp and a reflector therefor, and circuiting wiring, as clearly evident from Figs. 2 and 4.

The carrier 26 provided with the described upper compartments and the partitions and spaces particularly referred to, constitute the carrier of the photographic equipment assembly package which has been developed particularly for photographers of the United States armed forces, including the ground forces of the Air Corps and Signal Corps, and newspaper and other photographers, who must all carry with them at all times a photographic equipment including a camera, a large number of sensitized material holders, a tripod, numerous filters, a photographic flash synchronizer and at least two reflectors, all articles or units of such equipment being so arranged in the carrier that any unit or article of the equipment. can readily be removed from th carrier without disturbing any other article or unit whatsoever of the equipment.

The said carrier is so designed, constructed and arranged that the camera equipped with any one of the said articles or units, such as the sensitized material holder. the range finder, view finder, flash synchronizer with a bulb, and a reflector particularly adapted to that bulb, may be instantly made available. Thus the operator is enabled to open the carrier quickly and to remove the camera equipped for making an exposure in the minimum amount of time.

There have heretofore been provided a number of difierent types of carrying cases, but none so far I am aware solving the problem to the solution of which my invention is particularly directed. So far as I am aware, I am the first to provide a carrier for photographic equipment that is compact, light in weight and of convenient proportions and containing all the articles or units of the assembly so that each and every one or any one is instantly accessible to the camera operator upon the opening of the carrier and without disturbing any article or unit that is not needed by the operator for the instant picture.

My invention provides a carrier for photographic equipment into which can be placed a fully equipped camera ready for instant use, and wherein a tripod can be packed which is at all times readily accessible, there being suflicient space for the carrying of at least twelve film holders and a pack adapter. There is also provided an equipment carrier having a bracket for carrying the photographic flash synchronizer battery case when not installed on the camera, but

which is instantlyremovable from said bracket for installation on the camera. Provision is also made for carrying a large number of both large and small photographic flash lamps so that any one of them is readily accessible Without disturbing any other article or unit of the equipment. Moreover, each of the several articles or units is securely held in position when the carrier is closed and is being transported from place to place and so that there will be no injury to any of the said parts or units if the carrier is roughly handled.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that all the requisite equipment is pre-fixed on the camera 38 in proper position for instant use when the camera is removed from the carrier 20. The electrical circuit between the battery case and the synchronizing tripper, which is mounted on the camera lens board, is electrically connected by the cable 8|, so that the camera is ready for making an exposure just as soon as said camera is removed from the carrier, the camera itself opened up and the dark slide withdrawn from the film holder thereof.

It is sometimes possible and desirable to arrange in advance for making a picture that will not require the use of the synchronizer equipment, as in cases where what is to be photographed has such lighting conditions that the synchronizer equipment is not needed. Therefore, I have provided a separate bracket 82, shown in Figs. 4 and '7, attached to an upright wall of the upper compartment 22 by screws 82a, 82a, for supporting a synchronizer battery case 38 when the latter is separated from the camera. In such situation or under such conditions, the reflector 46 is placed in the compartment usually occupied by the reflector when installed on the camera, and this condition is best shown in Fig. 7, wherein the camera is shown as ready for use but not equipped with a flash synchroniser. Nevertheless in the conditions specified the carnera can be used as soon as it is removed from the equipment carrier.

The equipment carrier provides exceedingly convenient means for transferring an entire photographic equipment for the making of photographs by the armed forces of the United States and by news photographers and by other specialists. The carrier is fully equipped with each and every article or unit in its own particular place, so that any particular unit can be removed from the carrier without disturbing any other unit therein. This is exceedingly important where the operator is given an assignment to be covered in a minimum amount of time or where an unexpected happening necessitates the utmost speed in functioning if the operator is to secur the picture.

While there have been many so-called utility cases for photographic articles, I believe I am the first to provide a carrier case having all the numerous features herein recited. Such carrier case represents a great deal of experimental work and research so as to provide completely for a very specialized type of photography.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claim.

I claim:

An ever-ready equipment carrier comprising a relatively deep body compartment member of the carrier, rectangular in cross section; two, upper, shallower, compartment members of the carrier, each also rectangular in cross section, respectively hinged in parallelism at the upper edges of the two opposite lengthwise-extending walls of said body member, so as to be swung open oppositely to each other and thereby directly expose for removal the photographic units packed in said body compartment member; the said compartment member having two transversely extending, parallel partitions to receive between them the said camera body, the said partitions for that purpose being spaced from each other at opposite sides of a median transverse line of said body compartment member so as to provide three compartments nearly equal in size, the central one of said compartments snugly receiving the camera body, a fiashlamp and a battery case positioned above the camera, and mainly above the body compartments and laterally exposed when said carrier is in open condition, and the said nearly equal compartments of the body at the right and left of the central compartment receiving film holders freely exposed at their upper edges, one of the said upper compartment members thereby receiving the battery case when the carrier is closed.

FREDERIC S. GROVER. 

